Apparatus for the production of disk records for talking machines



H. L. T. BUCKLE APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF DISK RECORDS FOR TALKING MACHINES April 2, 1935.

Filed April 27, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l April 2, 1935. H. T. BUCKLE APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF DISK RECORDS FOR TALKING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 27, 1929 :IIIIIIII:

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April 2, 1935. H. L. T. BUCKLE 5 APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF DISK RECORDS FOR TALKING MACHINES Filed April 2'7, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 ,7 //VVE/V7'OE I8 727 2 l7 27 20 5 z 69 ex WBW mm), W ala/215w flake/megs.

April 2, 1935.

H. L. T. BUCKLE APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF DISK RECORDS FOR TALKI NG MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed April 2'7, 1929 April 1935- 'H. L. T. BUCKLE 1,996,057

APPARATUS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF DISK RECORDS FOR TALKING MACHINES Filed April 27, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 105 i 5 I0) I06- 1 i I a "T {Mr rr 1 um l g f) I \\L-:: //7

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j INVENTOR. ,MMVWJ I Attorneys Patented Apr. 2 1935 I UNITED] STATES PATENT IFFlC E';i .-g

f APPA-RATU S FOR THE PRODUCTION on I I: DIIISKI'RECORDSI IFOR TALKING Horace Leopold Tucker Buckle, Iver Heath, England, assignor, by mesne assignments, to Radio Corporation of America, New York, N. Y., a corporation of Delaware Application April 27, 1929, Serial No. 358,703

1 In Great Britain May 14, 1928' e Claims. (01. 18- -53) This invention relates to a process and apparatus forthe production of disk records fortalking I machines. ,V J'

In the production of disk records, it has hitherto been the practice to" press a sheet or a mass of record material between fiat mould plates secured to the platens of a'pre'ss, the pressure being applied over the whole surface of the record simultaneously. I I 7 According to the'present invention, disk records are made by pressing a 'blankfof record material between a curved surface and another surface so' co-operating with the first that the pressure is applied-to theblank over aline running across the blank sothatcomparatively little power is required to effect the impression. y 7

The blank recordmaterial I may "be of strip form, the records being formedby .passing the strip between revolving cylinders, one or bothof which carry on their 'surfaces matrices for imrecords onthe strip. I I i The impressed "records may be-cut from the strip by passing the latter, after impressing, through a punching die, which serves to punch the impressed disks from thestrip'. 3 I

Instead of employing impressing surfaces on a pair of co-operating cylinders", therecord blank pressing the soundlines constituting thesound I orstrip may be impressed between one curved and 30 oneflat surface, the former rolling on the latter,

with the blank in between, during movement which maybe imparted to either one or both of the impressing surfaces. I

It is to be understood that curved surfaces forming other thanarcs of circles may be employed. I The inventionis'illustrated, by way of example, in the accompanying drawings in which Fig. l is a View in elevationcf a complete apthe invention.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of.Fig.-.1; Fig. 3 illustrates the construction of the cylinclers and themethod of mounting matrices there- I on, the two cylindersbeing shown-spaced-apart by a distance greater than the working distance.

Fig; .4 illustrates parts of two co-operating the apparatus shown in Fig. 5.

paratus for producing re'cords'in accordance with Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, upon a base plate I are mounted supportingcolumns 2-, 3, 4 andi,

the columns '3 and 4'Ibeingcoupled together at theirupper ends by a plate 4. From the column 2 extends apair of br'ackets fi which support the bearings'for aroller 1 on which is rolled a 5 strip '8 of an impressible material, such-ascellu lose acetate, of convenient thickness. 7 A strip of cellulose acetate of from /1000 to 25/1000inchy in thickness has been {found suitable, althoughit I will be understood that other thicknessesjand l0 other materials maybe-employed. The strip 8 is led from the roller '1 over a guide roller;9',*also mounted in bearings on the column 2, and be tween upper and lower heating plates [0, 'I l par ried on thepillar 2 and heated inany convenient 15 I manner, as by the'circulation of steamlthrqugh passages (not shown) provided "in the bodies of the heating plates 0, 1 l.

The plates l0, ll areIspaeed apart spacing I members l2 to permit free passage of the strlp 8 between them. f From the heating plates, "the strip 8 passes betweenfa pair of impre ssi ng rollers I l3, l4, andduring itsfpassage between these rollers, it is impressed to form therecords.

The'impressingrollers' l3, I l" (Figs. 31 ands)? which are of heavyiconstruct'ionfand larg fdi ameter, being for example 6'ftiin dian eten' arc each'built upof ,a central part li'and an outer jacket l6, preferablyishrunk ontothe 'partgil5l The jacket I6'is provided on its edges'withradj: 301 I ally extending flanges pr rims ll .andLinj the space between these flanges tare :mounte'dithej matrices I8 carrying the sound recorclsto be im-' pressed in the strip 8. "The, matrices 18 are formed upon rectangular backing plates 19' (Fig. 35

2) which are bent inone direction'to conform to the curve of thex'outer surface of jacketlii and they'are'secured in position; on the Outer? surface of the jacket I 6-, by means of flanged clampingpstrips 20 whichfseat in rec'essesfZl 40' the surfaceof thefjacketjlfiand the flanges of which overlie the downwardly'bent edgesof 'ithe'v backing plate l9, as shown in Fig. 4;. "A: strip a 20 is provided for each'edge of thebacking plate l9;thatis to say, twostrips for-each matrix lie' 5' transversely of the surface of thejacket l6, and

two lie circumferentially. The'strips arejheldjin place by screws 22 Fig. 3.

The matrices l8 are'providedwith central aperfj it tures .correspondingin position 'to' the, (ientl'aI f apertures to be formed in the records, andinI, apertures-33 in the jacket I6 of the upper. roller, for example, (Fig. 3) are locatedpinsjlythe endsof which project through'the holesinthe M matrices I8.- In the pressing position} as shown in Fig.4,vthepin 3| passes-through the strip 8 r to form the aperture in the impressed record. A

"corresponding aperture or die 32 is provided in the jacket I6 of the'lower rollercinto which the end of pin 3 I projects when in the position shown 'inFig.4.

' The centre pin 3| intheflppen roller maybe slidably adjustable in the aperture 33 in the jacket l6, and the die 32 in'the lower roller may be formed by the end of aa sleeveflflxed in an aperture 34' in the lowerjacket T6; the ends of the'sleeves 33 and 34 carrying flanges'l23 and I2] which seatin recessesin the surface of the jacket IE but project slightly from ythevsu'rface:

of-thejacketsto form locating members for the matrices by engagement in the central apertures inthe latter. a -Q 5- The pin 3| and the'die32 are adjustable longitudinally in the apertures 33 and 34 in the-jacket l6 bymeans of screws 35 and 35 upon which locking nuts 31, are provided as shown in Fig.- 4. I The rolle rs i3 and M are mounted rigidly upon axial shafts 23 vand-24 mountedfor rotationfin bearingsinthe pillars 3 and 4 on the base plate IQ At the ends of the rollers are provided gear Wheels 25, 26'sim'ilar to each other and these gear 'wheels are conn ectedrigidly with the'rollersl3,

7 andmesh witheach otherso thatthe rollers 13, 14 are constrained to rotatetogether with the same angular velocity. The connection between the gear wheels 25 ,23and; the rollers is effected by ine'ans of bolts 21 vwhichlpass through arouate slots ram the "gear wheels and into apertures in the spokes. 29 of the rollers, thearcuate slots ZB being provided to permit small} adjust-f ments of the rollersrelatively to the gears ina circumferentialdirection'tobe effected;-- j

The bearings for the lower shaft .23 in the pil-f lars 3, ;,4 may be fixed, but the bearingsrfor the upper. shaft 24- are arranged to permit the posi tlon of the upper roller 13 to be adjusted bothlat-f 'erally between the pillars 3,,and 4 and longitudi- 113.115! of the pillars; sothat the' flanges I 1 on the upper and lo'we r'i'rollersmay be brought into satisfactory register and contact as, showninFigxl.

To permit.lateralvadjustment; tone end; of; the

' shaftv 24 of the upperroller iaar ranged to a move fre'elylongitudinally ina bearing bldck'iifiatbne laterally withre'g'ardtoithe bearingblocks tend. The other end oflthef shaftfM is reduced and the reduced endfrotates ina bearing block 39.1. I il'he 'bearingblocksn and 39 are mounted in slots 140 i the columns sand 4, beingiboltedto V V guide'plates 3,8,,33'l which engage the outersur- 3 faces of thecolumns; as shown in Fig. 4; to pref vent lateral movements "of the bearing blocks 38 *and39. 'The' end Vofthe shaft 24 is screw threaded externally at the twoipoints indicated at 4| and 42 and adjusting nuts 43, are employed to engage these screw threads to adjust'the position of the shaft 24 and consequently ofthe'roller l3 38Iand- 38,39 sliding'in the 51mm in the columns 3,- 4,

retain the screws 45, 14am the adjusted position The positionof the upper roller is adjusted so that perfect register between the roller flanges l! is o tained,-,in which ca se the matrices. opposite one another in the pressing position are spaced apart a required distance. It is found bolts 21 in the slots 28referred to above V wheel 14 whenthejclutch is'putinl, 7

that satisfactory results are, obtained if the space between the 'oppositematrlcesi. e. between the lower or smooth surfaces and not the sound line ridges thereon, is about the sameas the thickness 'ofthestrip 8. 1 a

'fThe centres of thematrices arebrought vinto register bysuitably' meshing'the gears 25 and 26; and making a final adjustment by means of the 'I-he strip 8'isdrawn from the roller 1 and be- 10 I tween-the heatingplates II), II as the pressing a rollers l3, l4 rotate, to impressthe-strip, and,

after being impressed; thestrip is moved over a.

support," carried on. posts, 5| on the frame of themachine and through'apunching die 52 where the impressed portions 1 are punched out from the strip. The scrap is wound upon a driven roller 53 rotating in bearings carried by arms54 arranged above and beyond the die 52 (see Fig.1) The punching die 52r comprises a body portion 55'carried on a framefiisupported on the columns 3,4 and 5 and the body portion j55 supports an upper fixed die 51 furnishedtwith a central locating pin 58 which engages in the=central aperturesin' theimpressed'portions of the strip '8asthe latter is fed beneathsaid fixed: die. 3

The fixed upper die 51 co-operates with a hollow lower'die 59 mounted'torecipro'cateverti 'cally' in a guide Vaperturein the body portionp55,

and the record disks are cut the strip 8 betweenthe edgeof-the lower die 59 and the upper die- 51 as die 59 is raised. I

{The aperture indie 59 extends wholly through the die and-the punched'out idisk'lrecordspass l I through this aperture and are received upon a collecting tray-50., It will be clearthatthe strip 8 must remain) stationary while an impressed a disk is being punchedfrom it and the rotation of the impressing rollers 13; which feed the strip a is therefore "caused to, take place intermittently. In the construction" of'apparatus illustrated in Figs; I andz, the driveof the impressing rollers 3 l 3, 14, the hollow die-SQ and scrap collecting roller 53 are derivedfrom a single source;

' The drivingimeans comprises a, driving shaft 61 1 driven fromany: convenient source of power and'cai'ryizng a worm -62 which engagesand. drives a; worm wheel 63 fast one shaft lilgm'ounted to rotatein'bea'rings on the base plate I. LThe'shaft 64 carries and. rotates-jabelt pulley 65 and drive istransmitted'from said pulley 651'to theroller 53 by wayof belt 66, pulleys {On a shaft. 61:,Ibelt '60, pulleys on a shaft 6'9 and a belt -1u 'iwhich i uns' '1 over a pulley coupled to the shaft of roller 53.

Shaft 64; also carries a worm-1i which meshes :with and drives a worm wheel 12 on a transverse shaft I3 which is itself fmounted vto-5rotate bearings in the frame of the machine. I

On jth fishflfii I3 is mounted a gear wheel 14 M which is freely rotatablethereon this gear-[601 wheel M'is adapted to be coupled v t0-.the:.sha ft' 13 to drive the rollers lsplathr u n an intermediate gear wheel,|5. 3.

' IL The means for '{coupling the gear. wheel ,7410 the shaft 13 comprises a sliding clutch {member 16' mounted for rotation, withsand longitudinal movement on the shaft I3 and carrying teeth: 11

w hich'are adapted toeng'age teeth '18 on the gear v -The, clutch is-put in and out; to couple; the gear 14 intermittently to the shaft'l'l3, byrmeans of -a bell crank lever 1 9i mounted to move about alfixed pivot-30 on the frame of the machine, onearm'oi theleverlQ carrying a pin 8t which engages in a; a

groove in the member 16 to ,move saidrnember longitudinally'of the shaft I3as .thelever. '19.;is'

rocked. Rocking'of the lever. I9 iseffectedautomaticall'y',to.put in the clutch; by-means of a facecam .82 which is rigid with the worm wheel I2 and which engages'a rolleri83' on the leverl'9 to rocksaid lever against a spring 84 connected between" one armof the :lever 19,.and a pin 85 on the: frame of the machine; This spring 84 serves :to eiiect return movements of lever I9 to put "out'the clutch when permitted by the cam connected therewith to operate a toggle joint comprising?levers-99and 99, pivoted together. to the end of rod 89 and respectively to a pivot 95 the jacket I6.

the grooves 95 and heating thejacket, is led off lowered.

on the base plate I and the lowerzend of a rod 92. The latter is yoke shaped at its-upper end andis secured tothe two sides ofthe lower mov-' abledie'59, whereby the die 59 is raisedand ,It will be understood that die. 59 moves continuously whileithe rollers I3, I I rotate inte'rmit-. tently and the timing is. such that the rollers I3,-

!4 come to a standstill when the die 59 approaches theraisedpositionwhere cutting takes place.

The impressing rollers I3, I4 may be heated to maintain the strip in a suitable state for receiving the impressions, and this is elfected, in the case illustrated, by passing steam through suitable passages in the rollers.

The steam is introduced through passage 93,

arranged axially of the shaft 24 and is led from passage 93, through a radial connecting passage 94 formed in one of the spokes 29 of the roller,

to one of a series of interconnected circumferential grooves 95 formed in the inner surface of The steam, after passing through by way of a second radial passage 96 to an outlet passage 91, also arranged axiallyof the shaft 24. It will, of course, be understood that steam passages may be provided in both impressing rollers.

In the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the impressing matrices 99 are carried upon the cylindrical surfaces of a pair of sector-shaped membars 99 and I pivoted respectively, to rock about axes formed by shafts IOI and I02 carried in bearings I03 and I0 I-in columns I22.and I23.

One matrix 98 may be carried on each sector or, if a single sided record is to'be produced, a matrix is'provided on'one sector only, the other sector carrying a plain surface. Thematrices are secured to the sectors in thesame manner as is described with reference toFigs. 1 to 4, and similar means to that already described are employed to form the central hole in the impressed record.

The sector 99is mounted rigidly on the shaft IOI which is adapted for lateral adjustment between the columns I22 and I23 by means of the nuts I as previously described, while the blocks forming the upper bearings I03 are arranged for adjustment vertically as before, according to the thickness of the record to be produced, by means of the adjusting screws I01 which engage the ends of pins I I0 on the bearing blocks I03 and serve to raise or lower the blocks I03 in guide slots in the columns. Means may be provided to vary the pressure of thesectors upon the record material, and'to this end, strong springs I08 are pro- In order to afford the necessary small degr'ee of freedom of movement to the shaft I 0 I to permit the pressure regulating screws to operate, the

upper screw I0'I- is fixed in a position such that its end is spaced from the pin I I9, as shown at H I.

On eachsector-is pivotally mounted .apair-ofj links H2 and H3 (Fig.,,5),;one ateach side,,and

the ends of these links away from the sectors are connectedto' a slide; (not shown) \so thatwhen the-slide ismoved the sectors 99 and l0iliare oscillated in unison about their axes. The links gated slots I I6in the plates IM, so that circumferential adjustment of "the lower sector I90 with regard tosector 99 is permitted.

. The lower sector freely on the shaft I32, but in such a manner as to II3 are connected to "the lower, sector, I99 through plates I I 4.,which carry the 'pivotsfor the links I I3 and are connected tothe sector I90 by bolts lifi'which pass throughelonr I09 I is, mounted to rotate be held againstmovements longitudinally there' I of, and a fixed collar'- I2d and nuts l arev pro-f v vided on the ends of theshaftto maintainthe,

sector I09 in position. The shaft IElZ-is. provided with reduced ends. Ill arranged eccentrically of. the shaft-I92 and these endsfrotatein' bearings in the columns." I22, I23. One end of the shaft I02 projects beyond the column I22 and on this projecting end is rigidly fixed a hand lever -I I8 whereby the shaft I02 can be rotated eccentrically in its bearings. By this means, the sector I90 can be raised and lowered towards andaway from sector 99.

In use, movement commences with the slide,

links H2 and H3 and the sectors'99 and I00 in a position to the right of that shown in Fig.5,

and the strip or blank of record material-is fed between the adjacent edges 'of the sectors.

'Thereupon, the slide and links I I2, H9 are moved to the left in that figure and the impressing of the strip and the formation of; the central hole On completion of this movement, the

is effected. hand lover I I8 ism'oved to rotate shaft I02 eccentrically in its bearings whereby the sector I00 is lowered. away from sector; 99; fThe parts can thereupon be returned to the initial position with out the strip being impressed between the sectors. The hand lever II 8 is again operated to raise the sector I00 and the next impressing, op-

be provided, as before, in the form of steam passages I26.

. While in the embodiments of the invention de- Iscribed above the impressing of the blank or strip is effected by two co-operating surfaces both I v of which are curved, it will be understood that.

the invention may also be carried out by means of j a curved surface co-operating with a plane or flat surface, the former being caused to roll upon the latter with the record material in bebers carrying the impressing surfaces. more, curved surfaces of a shape other than that of an arc of a circle may be employed.

tween by moving either one or both of the mem- Further- The usual labels provided on disk records may. a

be applied, after the pressing operation, in a separate operation, or during the blanking operation,.

matrix beingprovided withsuitable means for effecting this.

'Izclaim; .7 a 1. Apparatus of the class described comprising a pair of pivoted sector-shaped members having cylindrical surfaces, record matrices secured to said cylindrical surfaces, and means for oscil- V lating said members about their pivots and for causing a strip of'recofrd material to be fed between said surfaces;

2; Apparatus of'the'class described comprising a pairof pivoted sector-shaped members having cylindrical surfaces, record matrices securedtc said cylindrical surfaces, meansfor moving one of 7 said members 'bodily away fromthe' othermem-f ber, and means for oscillating said members about imaterial to'befed between said surfaces. 7

their p'ivots' and for causing a strip; of record :3: Apparatus of the class described comprising a pair of sectors having cylindricalsurfaces;

record matrices securedito said surfaces," shafts on which said sectors are pivoted, one of said shafts being mounted in eccentric bearings, means for oscillating said sectors about their pivotsand 'for causing; a stripof record material tobe fed between saidsurfaces, and means for rotating said one shaft in'it's eccentric bearings.

- 4. Apparatus of theclass described comprising a pair of rotatablemembers having cylindrical anemone surfaces, cooperativerecord matrices secured; to; said; surfaces, recordv centering -means associated. with said matrices, and means for'rotating said members and simultaneouslyr 'causing alstrip of recordmaterial toi'be fed between said surfaces. 5. Apparatus of theclass described comprisi g a pair of. rotatable members having cylindrical":- surfaces, record matrices secured to said surfaces,

record centering. pin passing i n e matrices in one of..said membersymeans assoing pins, andmeansfor, rotating said'membersterial to be fed between said surfaces.

cooperating cylindrical surface ibeing I ni'ov j able relatively to'each .othef;ia:record matrix cooperating member on the surface of the other of said members, andr'neans whereby one ofsaid members may be adjusted relatively to the other 'to bring said matrix 'and matriai cooperating Q member intoregistration,

V 10 ciated with the matrices on said second member? I forv cooperatively receiving said record 'centeron the surface of one of said members, a matrix 

